The One Where We Give An Overview of the Enneagram
For today's blog post I wanted to talk about the Enneagram.
It seems like everyone has their thing when it comes to personality tests/descriptions - whether it be Myers-Briggs, horoscopes, the color test, etc.
My thing is DEFINITELY the Enneagram. I've developed a habit of regularly guessing the people in my life's "type" and convincing people to take the test. I first took the Enneagram a year and a half ago. I now know that my result at the time was skewed because I was in intense turmoil - more on that later. We then dived into the Enneagram as part of my RYT200 training and I became very fascinated with it. Most recently, I gave a Lunch & Learn presentation at work on the Enneagram.
Before we really dive in - a few quick notes:
I am NOT an Enneagram coach. This is a real thing and there are people out there but this is purely just a passionate hobby of mine.
Most of the information I will describe is sourced from the Enneagram Institute.
Pictures are sourced from Contemplative.org
A great resource to take the test for free is: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test
What exactly is the Enneagram?! Whelp, it's a personality test. But it also has been around a LONG time and has entire institutions devoted to studying it. It is based around 9 "types," has "growth/stress paths," "wings," and "centers," and "healthy/unhealthy levels". These are a lot to get into but are essential in truly understanding who you are in relation to the Enneagram, so my current plan is to get into them in specifically dedicated posts.
It should be noted that it is "common to find a little of yourself in all nine of the types, although one of them should stand out as being closest to yourself. This is your basic personality type." Most of the major Enneagram authors agree that we are all BORN with a dominant type - so nature rather than nurture when it comes to the enneagram. Other important things to note include:
Types are gender-neutral; no difference for male vs. female.
People don't change types. Growth and stress paths can get confusing with this BUT people's basic type is their basic type forever.
The numbers on the Enneagram are value-neutral - no type is "worse" or "better" than the other.
I highly, highly, highly encourage you to take the test. Personality tests can seem trivial, but the Enneagram is important in how we relate to others. It helps us empathize with other's motivations, realize our own patterns and motivations, and be more in-tune with others.
After you know your type, I would highly encourage you to look into some of the following resources:
Read about your type on www.enneagraminstitute.com - this page also has fantastic articles on how types interact with each other in relationships as well as a daily email list that can provide horoscope-style introspection for the day based on your type.
Check out some awesome Instagram pages!! I am listing a few of my faves below. They are a blend of "oh shit I feel CALLED OUT" and "hahahah this is what 'The Office' meme fits my enneagram type."
The Typology podcast. So so good.
Sleeping At Last!!! Their band released an "Enneagram" album - they wrote a song for each type. It will PROBABLY make you cry when you listen to your type's song. They also have a podcast. And last but not least, they have a collaboration with The Giving Keys with a necklace that has a word for each type.
I'm excited to dive in more to the Enneagram over the next few weeks and I'm extra excited to hear everyone's type so if you know your type, feel free to comment below or tell us!
